This invention relates generally to lawn mowing equipment and, more particularly, to an edging and trimming assembly for attachment to a riding lawnmower and which is adjustable for conventional weed trimming or for edging a sidewalk or driveway.
Lawns are typically manicured by first trimming grass around trees or fences with a weed trimmer and then riding or pushing a lawn mower to cut the remainder of grass. Conventional lawn mowers have limited maneuverability such that use of a separate trimming apparatus to cut all of the grass or weeds close to obstacles often cannot be avoided.
Various devices have been proposed for combining a trimming apparatus with a lawnmower deck. Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, the existing devices do not provide a variable speed trimming apparatus that is selectively activated or adjustable for use in either a horizontal trimming plane or a vertical edging plane.
Therefore, it is desirable to have an edging and trimming assembly that may be coupled to a lawnmower drive mechanism. Further, it is desirable to have an edging and trimming assembly that is selectably activated with selectable speed variations. Additionally, it is desirable to have an apparatus that is movable between edging and trimming configurations.
Accordingly, the present invention includes an edging and trimming assembly for use with a riding lawn mower of a type having front and rear wheels with a central mower deck situated between the front and rear wheels, the mower having a cutting blade coupled to a power driven rod defining a generally vertical axis. The edging and trimming assembly includes an elongate hollow arm with a flexible shaft extending through the arm. The arm is coupled at one end to a hub on the mower deck and positioned such that the arm is pivotally movable about the vertical axis of the power driven rod. A gear train is connected to the power driven rod and positioned in the hub adjacent the flexible shaft. A clutch assembly is connected to the gear train for engaging the gear train with the flexible shaft for rotation thereof. A trimmer head is attached to the flexible shaft and includes a cutting member for rotation by the shaft.
A linkage interconnects the arm and the trimmer head for providing multiple configuration options of the trimmer head. The linkage enables the trimmer head to move between a configuration defining a horizontal cutting plane and a configuration defining a vertical cutting plane. The linkage also includes a pair of adjustment arms movable in a scissors-like manner for adjusting an angular relation of the trimmer head. A shield defining an opening through which the cutting member may extend is rotatably positioned such that the trimmer head can operate as an edging apparatus in its vertical configuration and a trimming apparatus in its horizontal configuration.
Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide an edging and trimming assembly coupled to the mower deck of a riding lawn mower.
Another object of this invention is to providing an assembly, as aforesaid, that is coupled to the power driven rod of the lawn mower and includes a gear train that is selectively engaged by a user.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an assembly, as aforesaid, having a trimmer head with a linkage that enables the trimmer head to be moved between a configuration defining a horizontal cutting plane for trimming and a configuration defining a vertical cutting plane for edging.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an assembly, as aforesaid, which pivots forward of the mower deck when it encounters an obstacle.
A further object of this invention is to provide an assembly, as aforesaid, having a flexible shaft for rotation within a curved arm casing.
A still further object of this invention is to provide an assembly, as aforesaid, in which said flexible shaft includes user selected variable speed control.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of this invention.